Ok then. The final Servants are going to show up in this chapter. We get to know Saber a bit more. And we see Assassin's failed attack on Tohsaka Manor.

Once again, I don't own any of these stories and characters. All rights go to their rightful owners. I'm not making money from this.

Chapter 2: Bloody People Murder People

(4 days ago, Einzbern Castle)

Irisviel smiled as she looked out the window. Her husband Kiritsugu was outside in the snowy forest with their dear Illya. They were playing a game and it was the few times Kiri actually seemed happy. She knew that if he could, he would happily stay here with the both of them and forget the world.

"If only I could survive past the end of the War." She thought sadly. She already knew she was going to die. It was an undeniable fact, just like the fact she wasn't actually human. As a homunculus tied to the Grail War, she would be lucky to live till the end of the War. But as long as Kiri got his chance to wish for world peace, then she would do anything.

Movement out of the corner of her eye surprised her. Looking closer, she saw that it was Saber himself, his white hair invisible against the snow. He had dematerialised his armour and wore a black suit provided by Kiritsugu. Going by the name Arthas, he was skinnier than he appeared and his skin was sallow. He clearly was good-looking, but some of those looks were withered. He didn't wear any winter clothing, because he said that his kingdom was far colder than this. Kiritsugu was coming back and spotted him. They just stood there for a bit, before Kiri told Illya to head back inside.

Iri felt curious. What could it be that Arthas wanted to talk to Kiri about?

(/\/\)

"I've been reading about you, Magus Killer." Saber said, ignoring the snow falling on him. "You are someone who does not care for the cost, only that monsters are stopped. You would kill a town of hundreds to save thousands. You do not let things like morality stop you from succeeding."

"You approve?" Emiya asked, remembering what Saber said when he'd first been summoned days before.

"Indeed. In fact, we are very alike." Saber said as he walked closer to Emiya. Anything not covered by frost and snow was blanketed in ice at his passing. "Long ago, before I realised the true nature of the living and the order of the Scourge, I called them enemy. A cult worshipping them spread disease through grain. Any who ate it became infected, falling and then rising as the undead. The town of Stratholme was one such victim. I knew that the only way to end their suffering, and the threat they posed to Lorderan, was to cull every last infected."

"But my closest allies could not, or would not, see that. They were blinded by mercy. They did not realise that by letting them live we would allow the death of even greater magnitudes. They refused, and so I had them and their sympathisers leave before they got in our way. And so all those who were still loyal to their prince helped me do what was needed. Let my tale be a lesson, Master. Allies are useful, family motivates us. But be ready to cast aside either when they threaten your mission." And with that, Saber headed back inside, probably to train again.

Emiya smiled slightly as he realised just how alike the two were. They were both willing to ignore all standards to save the world. But part of him wondered about this Scourge. What order did he mean?

(/\/\)

(8:00pm Tuesday, Unknown House)

Blood was splattered all over the walls. Two people with slit throats sat side-by-side on a couch. The other couch had merely one man on it, dead as the others. The only light was a TV showing the local news. A young boy lay on the ground, bound and gagged and frightened out of his little life. And standing in the middle of it all, drawing a summoning circle with one foot was the man responsible.

"Fill, fill, fill 'er up, fill." The man, Ryuunosuke Uryuu said as he read from a tattered old book. "Repeat four times. Or was it five times? Um, and then I have to destroy it each time it's filled. Wait is that right?" He looked at the book again. "Hmm. Alright now. Fill and fill and fill and fill and fill. Ok that's five times. Right." He was suddenly distracted when the news spoke of a kidnapper. The news-lady went on to say that at the last three houses there had been the same pentagram drawn in blood, just like the one Uryuu was doing now.

"Do you think that maybe I went a little bit too far?" He asked the single corpse as he leaned on the couch, causing the man's head to fall to the ground. Uryuu turned off the TV before turning to face the boy. "Hey, do you believe in terrible demons kiddo? All the newspapers and magazines are saying I'm some kind of terrible demon." He started walking towards the boy. "But suppose demons like that really did exist in the world. I mean wouldn't that be awfully rude to them? You got to be pretty clear on these things." He suddenly crouched down, scaring the kid. "Yo. I'm Ryuunosuke Uryuu and I'm a demon. Ah, I don't know if that's the right way to go about it. But look." He waved the book at the kid. "I found this little baby. It's some big old book from deep inside our storehouse. Looks like some of my ancestors were doing a bunch of research on how to go about summoning demons. So like, I just gotta find out whether there really are demons. Understand?" He stood back up. "But you know, if a demon really did appear, it would be pretty stupid to just chat with it for a while and send it back from whatever pit of Hell it came from." He sat down in a chair. "So kid. If a demon does show up around here, would you mind letting it kill ya?" The child, already scared out of his wits, started shrieking and wriggling in terror. Uryuu started laughing. "I wonder what it's like being killed by a demon? How many people get to find out?" He grimaced in pain. "What a minute. What's that?" 'That' was a glowing symbol on his right hand. Though Uryuu didn't know it, that was a command seal that signified his contract with a servant. The circle started glowing as the ritual was completed. Mist billowed out as the last servant was summoned.

The servant was young, about 17 maybe. He wore a purplish-blue tunic and leggings with a red and yellow chest piece. His hands and feet were covered in leather and a yellow scarf billowed out behind him. On his back was a large golden sword shaped like a diamond and attached to a red handle and cross guard. He opened his blue eyes and brushed aside his spiky blond hair. "As Caster, I ask of you, he who calls me…" He looked in horror as he noticed the state of the room. "Wha…what happened here?"

"Oh yeah." Uryuu said rubbing his head in embarrassment. "Sorry this place is a mess, but I figured you'd want to see my hobby."

Caster looked back at him. "You did this?" Anger was evident on his voice and face. "You murdered these people.

"Oh, don't worry. I left one for you. He's right over here." Uryuu turned to face the boy he left alive. "So, do you want to eat him? Or are you just going to show me some cool…" He gasped in pain as Caster's blade slid into his chest from behind.

"Rot in Hell you monster." Caster growled as he pulled his blade out. Uryuu fell down, already dead. Sheathing his sword, Caster looked at the dead in sadness before offering a prayer to the Wise One. He turned to the boy, who started wriggling away. "Hey. It's ok." He said in a soft tone. "I'm not gonna hurt you. It'll be alright. Just calm down." White circles rose quickly from his feet to his head as a glowing white ball flew slowly to the boy. When it hit, he started feeling really sleepy. Just before he fell asleep, he heard a thunk as Caster bought his blade down on something.

(/\/\)

(6:00pm Wednesday, Fuyuki Hospital)

The boy woke up, screaming his head off. It took him a while to realise that he wasn't in his home, and that a policeman was trying to calm him down. "It's alright son. Take a deep breath. You're one lucky kid."

"Lucky?" the boy asked

The policeman nodded. "Someone dropped you off at the station. Didn't see who it was, but he left the address of the killer's latest attack. We're absolutely certain that the man Ryuunosuke Uryuu was the killer. Strangely though, the boys say he was killed by a large sword, and he was definitely missing his right hand."

The boy pondered this. It must've been that stranger from the circle that took the hand. Maybe it had something to do with that symbol on it. But what did it mean?

(/\/\)

(9:00pm Tuesday, Unknown House)

Unknown to anyone though, in the time between Caster's departure and the police arriving, the summoning circle became active once again. As it billowed out mist again, another servant stepped out.

Covered by a purple glow, the stranger looked around at the corpses. The glow faded, leaving behind a strange woman clad head to toe in concealing clothes. One could not tell who this individual was.

And that was how The Fateless One like it.

And so Avenger left the house, wondering what fates she will change and unravel in this strange world.

(/\/\)

(Same time, Fuyuki Church)

"The final servant, Caster has just been summoned. For some reason though, not even a minute later the master was killed." Risei Kotomine said to his son Kirei.

"Odd. Perhaps another master was behind it." Kirei replied.

"No." Assassin retorted. "Kill was far too soon. /The odds are too miniscule. /Caster did the deed."

Kirei raised his eyebrow in surprise. "But he would have no mana to keep him here. Why would he do that?"

"They did not agree. /Difference of opinion. /Will find new master."

"Assassin's right Kirei. There's nothing stopping Caster from finding someone else to be his or her master. Still, we should inform Tokiomi about this development."

"Understood." Kirei moved to inform Tokiomi over the communicator when Risei called him back. "What is it?"

"Another servant was just summoned from the same circle."

Kirei frowned. "But there are only seven servants. How can there be eight?"

Risei sighed. "I don't know, but the last time there were eight servants the whole system went crazy. You should inform Tokiomi about this too."

Kirei nodded, heading off again. But this was still strange news.

"Still." He thought. "At least we can finally begin the War. And our plan."

(/\/\)

(9:00pm Thursday, Outside Tohsaka Mansion)

Kirei looked at the Tohsaka Mansion from the forest overlooking it. Though his eyes couldn't see it he knew that Tokiomi had several defences in place that made it magically impenetrable. But this was Assassin's specialty.

"Assassin. You know what to do. Make sure not to fail." He said to his servant.

"Understood Master. /Like an old leaf on the wind /I will move unseen." With this, Assassin moved out, with DIE glowing on his helmet. It did not take long for Assassin to reach the outer walls of the mansion. Jumping over the walls, he threw kunai at some gems on pedestals. His eyes saw the weaker barriers fall with their destruction. Only a large, powerful one remained. Moving quickly, he actually ran through the barrier without setting it off before pulling out a hilt from his back. A blue glowing blade formed from it and he raised it to strike the last jewel. Then there would be nothing in his way.

An apple-sized ball flew at the pedestal. Before Assassin could even move, it exploded with enough force to burn and destroy the modest garden. Assassin had been completely vaporised. Standing on the Tohsaka roof was Archer, a strange black and red glove on one hand with another ball in its palm.

"Sorry Assassin, but that's the way the ball bounces." Archer snarked as a sleek red and silver pistol materialised in his hand. Rainbow shots were fired at familiars that had been watching the fight. Any left were already running to report to their masters. With the grounds empty, Archer moved to head back inside.

(/\/\)

(9:30pm Thursday, Mackenzie Residence)

"Yes!" Waver shouted, having watched Assassin's failed attempt. He grabbed the radio that Rider had given him to tell him the good news. "Rider, Assassin's been killed. He out of the running."

"Understood." Rider replied. "Preparing for evac." This was his way to say he was bringing Waver to his Noble Phantasm. A metal door appeared in Waver's room before opening. Remembering that Rider had entered this door, Waver took a deep breath and walked through.

It turned out that Waver's understanding of a base and Rider's understanding were very different. Rider listed at least a dozen ways an enemy could breach the house and suggested using his Noble Phantasm Forward unto Dawn as a better option. But for Waver's spells and familiars to work, he had to be outside a reality marble. In the end, Rider's familiar, Cortana, had suggested that Waver have a radio to contact them if anything came up.

Stepping through the other door, Waver was amazed. It looked like some kind of spaceship. Out one side the stars were glowing brighter than down on Earth. But the other side was completely black, as though something was blocking it.

"Hello Master." Cortana said from thin air. Waver got used to that after a while. "The white lights on the floor will lead you to the Command Center of the Dawn." Nodding, Waver soon reached the Center. It was a large room with a strange table in the center. Images were moving all over it and Rider was looking at them, deep in thought. Strangely, he never seemed to remove his armour, leading Waver to decide that he actually needs it to survive.

"Describe the events leading to Assassin's death." Rider said, not even looking up from what Waver saw was an aerial photo of the Tohsaka Mansion. The damage was very clear in the image.

"Well, my familiar didn't see as much as I'd like, but I did see him come from the forest." Rider tapped the forest, surrounding it in a box with a one by it. "Then he threw something to disable the first wards around the flowerbeds." Rider placed a box around them. "He walked through the final barrier somehow." A box at the bombsite. "But then Archer appeared on the roof and threw an explosive at Assassin."

"Where on the roof was Archer?" Rider asked.

"About here I think." Waver said as he pointed at the middle of the roof facing the forest. Rider drew a circle around there before tapping the table, causing the image to become 3D.

"Cortana, any ideas?" Rider said out loud. Suddenly, a small, blue, naked lady appeared next to the model. Waver shrieked, causing Cortana and Rider to look at him.

"Rider! Tell your faerie to put some clothes on for God's sake." He yelled.

"I'm not a faerie. I am a UNSC smart artificial intelligence construct. And I am just a series of one and zero constructed to look like a woman."

"Well look like you have some clothes on already."

Cortana sighed before her appearance became hazy and reappeared wearing an Admiral uniform. "Happy?" Waver nodded. "Good cause we need to go over what happened here. Something's not right."

"Agreed." Rider said. "To have the designation Assassin, he would have to have been good enough to remember Archer would be guarding Tohsaka with his life. Those barriers would be useless if someone can walk through them so he must have an intangibility unit or magic."

"Most likely a unit. His appearance seems more in line with our time than the past. The fact that Archer got him might suggest that it has a cooldown period. But even with it a powerful magus like Tohsaka must have defences other than the barrier." She turned to face Waver. "He would know about Assassin, right?"

"Yeah. The Tohsakas were one of the families that made the Grail."

"He would've been stupid to not have defences designed to stop an Assassin class. Maybe…" A chart with a list of servants and masters appeared next to her. Most of the master spots were empty. "Do we know who Assassin worked with?"

"I'm pretty sure it was Kirei Kotomine. He was an apprentice of Tohsaka after spending years with the Church. Every magus hears about something like that. Then he left about a year ago."

"Long enough that he could've received a command seal." Rider said. "So Kirei leaves the Church to join their sworn enemy, and then leaves a year before the Grail War begins. He's the Master of Assassin, while his mentor is the Master of Archer. Assassin does a suicidal attack on Tohsaka, forgets about Archer and get surprised by a grenade. And he has an intangibility unit that either has low energy, or he seems to forget about." Rider stared at the model for a bit before speaking again. "What if he had a hologram?"

"That makes sense." Cortana said "He could hide in the shadows and send a hologram forward instead. That could explain why he passed through the barrier so easily." She frowned in thought. "But what point is there? The hologram couldn't destroy the gemstone, and it would've been too unlikely to know Archer would use a grenade. He could've used a sniper rifle, or a machine gun, or even a pistol. Not to mention he didn't strike while Archer was distracted."

"He did use a pistol afterwards to clear out the familiars." Waver remembered.

"Why do that," Rider said. "Unless you don't want the enemy to look too closely. We'll need to stay on our toes until otherwise and work under the assumption that Assassin and Archer may be working together." He turned to face Waver. "During the night, unless you need to work on some magic, I highly recommend staying aboard the Dawn and only leaving during the day. At least until Assassin is confirmed dead."

Waver nodded as he looked out the window at the stars. There were worse places to spend his nights.

He just hoped he could keep track of the time.

So that's Saber for you. Yes, he's supposed to be omnicidal, and he kinda is, but he's also willing to be pragmatic. Win the Grail, then conquer the world. And Rider sees Waver as his commanding officer. He's not the kind of soldier to blindly follow orders. So he and Cortana are going to make him a better person, just like Alexander did in the anime.

Just letting everyone know, I'm posting these once a week. This gives everyone time to find and review, so anything that might need changing I can fix. Also, these pages might be a bit short. This is my first story so I'm still working out some kinks. Besides when you're first starting off, an 8 page word document seems pretty long.

See you next time, where I might start including their stats.